West End Cultural Centre getting ventilation system upgrade to improve show safety

West End Cultural Centre is adding UV filters to ventilation system to improve air quality

The West End Cultural centre is getting an air-quality upgrade this spring spurred by growing evidence COVID-19 is airborne.

The centre will be undertaking a $70,000 renovation to its ventilation system, which will include the addition of UV filters.

“It’s a big and extensive change and upgrade to our system. The UV light filters are for cleansing the air and really filtering them and giving them a good scrub,” said Jason Hooper, executive director of the West End Cultural Centre. “It is really important to make sure the air quality is as high as we can keep it.”

Hooper said the pandemic really brought attention to air quality issues and that the UV filters are one of the best available technologies. However, the centre will continue to keep an eye on future air-purification innovations.

He said the importance of keeping the air clean cannot be underestimated in live music venues where tightly packed crowds are the norm but also part of the experience.

"It really is about connecting with people, connecting with the artists on stage, connecting with the people around you. If you're worried about your safety, if you're worried about your health in that situation you're really not going to have the best time that you possibly can and so that is really what we're trying to achieve here,” said Hooper.

The same can be said for the artists. In order for them to perform their best, Hooper said their safety concerns have to be addressed.

“We have to make sure everybody is as safe as possible because that feedback between performer and audience is so vital,” he said.

The air-scrubbing light is expected to be installed by April.

Hooper said the upgrade was only possible because of a federal recovery fund grant.